Book joint creasing machine



May 23, 1950 J. D. STONE BOOK JOINT CREASING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan, 51, 1947 INVENTOR, JvZzcLn 12 .Stone HIS ATTORNEYS May 23,1950 J. D. STONE BOOK JOINT CREASING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.51, 1947 INVENTOR. Julian D. .Sfione BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented May 23,1950 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE BOOK .lOiNT CREASING MAGHINE Julian D.Stone, Nashville, Tenn, assignor, by mesne assignments, of one-half tohimself and one-half to Gilbert W. Lovell, Nashville, Tenn.

Application January "31, 1947, Serial No. 725,563

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus for forming joints in book coversby creasing the latter along lines adjacent the rear or bound edge-ofthe book. 7

In the binding of bo'oksjit has been more or less general practice toattach, by gluing, materials such as crash and paper to the backs of thestitched signatures for the purpose of strengthening the backs and tothen paste the leaves and apply the covering for the front and back ofthe book. After these operations, joints are formed in the covered backsor covered fronts and backs of the books, these joints being formed insome instances by stacking the books in presses with beaded bindingboards or ribbed plates inserted between the books so thatupon theapplication of pressure thereto until the adhesive has hardened, thecover joints formed by the creases produced'by the beads or ribs areset.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whicheliminates the necessity of employing press boards such as the bindingboards-or rib plates just referred to and the placing of the books withthe boards in a press for creasing the covers and forming the jointstherein, thus materially reducing the cost of forming the book joints.

Another object of the invention is to provide a book cover joint formingmachine of comparatively simple construction and which is of a portablenature 'so that it can "be set "up for use in practically any desiredlocation in a bindery, thus lending itself to economical usageparticularly in small binderies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine "of thetype indicated which can b'eoperated with maximum efiicien'cy inthe-sense that the machine can accommodate or operate upon two bookssimultaneously whereby production can be speeded up when desired.

Still another object is to provide a book cover creasing machine whichis readily adjustable for accommodating books of different thicknessesor for varying the pressure applied to the books whose coverings arebeing creased.

A further object is to provide a book cover creasing machine which isalso readily adjustable for varying thespaci-ng of the crease or jointin the cover with respect to the rear or bound edgeof the book.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully de- 2 scribed and the novel featuresthereof. particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a creasing or joint forming machineembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional viewon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is another detail sectional View on the line 55 of Fig l;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the lower creasing blades and stop members,only a portion of the book supportin table or platform beingillustrated;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views on lines 1--l and 8-8 of Fig.'6, respectively, Fig. 8 being somewhat enlarged; and

'Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the stop member guidemeans.

In accordance with the present invention the crease or joint is formedin the covers of the book by upper and lower creasing members 10 and l lone of which is movable toward and from the other to clamp between themthe rear or bound edge of the book when the book is placed on a table 2with its bound edge projecting beyond the edge of the table to an extentwhere the covers will be engaged by the creasing members alon the lineat which it is desired to crease or form the joints in the book covers.Preferably, the present machine is designed tooperate upon two bookssimultaneously so that in the construction illustrated the table 12 issufficiently large to support two books laid flat thereon with theirbound or rear edges disposed toward each other and projecting beyond theedges l2 of the table, the edges l2 being formed by an opening [3 (Fig.6) of suitable size located more or less centrally of the table. Thetable I2 is supported on end standards M of a suitable frame and saidstandards also support a rigid cross b'ar 15 located below the table.Where two books are to be operated upon simultaneously there are, ofcourse, two sets of vertically spaced creasing members II], II, and, asit is preferred that I only one member of each pair be movable withrespect to the other 'for the purpose of clamping the book between them,the lower creasing members l0 are rigidly mounted on the crossbar l5with their upper edges protruding slightly above thesurface of' tableIt. adjacent an edge 12 of 3 said table. On the other hand, the uppercreasing members II which are movable toward and from the lower creasingmembers H! are mounted on a crosshead l6, which is carried, at its ends,on spindles H, which, in turn, are supported on the upper ends ofconnecting rods l8, so that, by raising and lowering said connectingrods the crosshead, together with the upper creasing members l I can bemoved toward and from the lower creasing members ID. The crosshead I6 isguided in its vertically reciprocating motions by guide rods [9 mountedon crossbar IS, the cross-i head being free to slide on said guide rodsas will be well understood. I {j 1 a In order to determine the linealong which the 2,508,585 .2 r" T J portant that both ends of thecrosshead be moved the same distance or adjusted to the same extent anytime an adjustment is made and in order that this can be accomplishedmeans are provided for rotating the spindles at the two ends of thecrosshead simultaneously. For instance, the upper end of each spindlemay be provided with a sprocket wheel 29 and the two sprockets connectedby a sprocket chain 30, so that, by rotating one of the sprockets, forinstance, with a small crank 31, the two sprockets with the spindles onwhich they are mounted will be rotated in unison and both spindles movedup or down the same distance on the threaded upper book covers will becreased gauge plates or stops are provided for limiting the insertion ofthe bound or rear edge of the books between the:

vertically adjacent an edge I2 of the opening l3 in the table and thesevertically disposed legs of the two angle bars constitute the stops forlimiting insertion of the books between the creasing members. Preferablythe two stops are yieldingly urged toward each other by springs2lattached to said vertical legs but to properly locate or position thesestops with respect to'the creasing members vertical shafts 22 journaledin crosshead it have cams 23 on their lower ends positioned between theupright legs of the angle iron stops, these cams determining the extentto which the stops can move toward each other under the influence of thesprings 2|. Thus, when it is desired to alter the position of the stopsrelatively to the creasing members, shafts 22 can be rocked in onedirection to forcethe stops away from each other under the influence ofthecams or the stops can move toward each other or away from thecreasing members under the influence of springs 2| if the shafts 22 arerocked'in the opposite direction. To facilitate the rocking of thesestop adjusting cam shafts and to insure actuation of the cams in unisonwith one another the two shafts are connected together at their upperends by means of rocker arms 24 mounted on the shafts with a link 25attached at its ends to said rocker arms and an operating handle 26(Fig. 4) is provided on said link for moving the latter in eitherdirection depending uponthe direction it is desired to rock the shafts.

It is also desirable that the machine be capable of operating upon booksof different thicknesses by varying the distance the upper and lowercreaser bars l0, ll,are spaced from each other when in their open orseparated position. -For this purpose,-the crosshead ld which-carriesthe upper creasing members It, I l,-is adjustable longitudinally of therods 18 by which it is reciprocated. Preferably, this adjustability ofthe crosshead is obtained by having the upper ends of the rods i8 screwthreaded and providing an adjust ing nut 27 at the lower end of eachspindle. The crosshead is mounted on each spindle between'a rigid collarll at the'upper end of the spindle and a separable collar li threaded"in the lower end of the spindle and the adjusting nut 21 of eachspindle is adapted to be normally locked against rotation by a set screw28' which extends through the nut and engages against this lower collarof .thespindle. It is, o f course, ixnends of rods l8; depending uponthe direction in .trolled by a manually operable switch (not shown); Asthese heating means actually form no part of the present invention, thismore or less diagrammatic illustration of the electrical 1|: vision ofdual sets 'of creaser blades in the open-.i

present purposes.

. As previously indicated the present machine is preferably of theportable type and for this reason the end standards are mounted on abase 33,

' which, in turn,is provided with suitable rollers 34 whereby it may bereadily moved to any desired locality in proximity to an electricaloutlet. Actuation of rods i8 for reciprocating crosshead I6 is notlimited to any particular form of motive power but in the portable formof apparatus it is preferred that the rods be actuated by power derivedfrom an electric motor 35 mounted on the base 33' of the machine frame.The motor is shown more or less diagrammatically and as is alsoreduction gearing 36 which is connected to said motor by. belt 31, and,in the present instance, the output shaft of this reduction gearing hasmounted thereon a box cam 38 with which there is associated a cam roller39 on the end of a rocker arm 40 of a main actuating shaft 41 journaledin suitable. bearings on the base 33. This main operating. shaft 4| isalso provided with two additional rocker arms 42 to which the lower endsof the rods ['8 are pivotally connected. The flow of electrical currentto the motor 35 is controlled by a switch (not shown) which-may be ofthe type wherebythe motor may be op-. erated at different, controlledspeeds. Switches of this type are of well known construction and neednot be described in detail here and neither is it deemed necessary toillustrate the electrical connections between the, switch and motor orbetween the switch and the source of supply of electricity. However, itwill be apparent that upon placing the motor in operation the mainoperating shaft 4! will be rocked in its bearings by rocker arm dt'withthe result that the rods IE, together with the crosshead l6 carrying theupper creasing plates ll, willbe'reciprocated vertically, the speed ofoperation being such that books can be successively placed betweencooperating creasing members each time the upper member is raised away'from the lower creasing member, It will be appreciated that by reason ofthe proing of the table, two operators at opposite sides of the machinecan materially increase the production of books with finished, creasedcovers.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a platform for supporting a covered book with the rearedge of the book projecting beyond an edge of said platform, a gaugeplate extending along but spaced from said edge of the platform,creasing bars supported in alinement with the space between said gaugeand platform, means for effecting relative movement of said bars towardand away from each other to permit insertion of the rear edge of a bookbetween the bars and to temporarily clamp the book between them, andmeans for adjusting said gauge plate toward and away from the edge ofthe platform to regulate the distance a book is inserted between saidcreasing bars.

2. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a horizontal platform having an elongated openingextending across the same, a pair of upper and lower creasing barssupported adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of said opening, meansfor moving one creasing bar of each pair vertically away from the otherbar to permit the backs of books supported on said platform to beinserted and clamped between said pairs of creasing bars, and means forlimiting insertion of said books between said bars.

3. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a horizontal platform having an elongated openingextending across the same, a pair of upper and lower creasing barssupported adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of said opening, meansfor moving one creasing bar of each pair vertically away from the otherbar to permit the backs of books supported on said platform to beinserted and clamped between said pairs of creasing bars, stops forlimiting the insertion of the backs of said books between the creasingbars, and means for adjusting said stops toward and from thelongitudinal edges of said platform opening.

4. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a frame, a book supporting platform horizontally mountedon said frame and having an elongated opening extending across the samewhereby books can be positioned on said platform at opposite sides ofsaid opening with the backs of the books projecting beyond oppositeedges of said platform, a rigid crossbar on said frame, a pair ofcreasing bars mounted on said crossbar with the edges of said creasingbars disposed along said opposite edges of the platform opening, avertically reciprocatory crosshead mounted in said frame above saidplatform, and a second pair of creasing bars mounted on said crossheadin vertical alinement with said first mentioned pair of creasing bars.

5. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a frame, a book supporting platform horizontally mountedon said frame and having an elongated opening extending across the samewhereby books can be positioned on said platform at opposite sides ofsaid opening with the backs of the books projecting beyond oppositeedges of said platform opening, a rigid crossbar on said frame, a pairof creasing bars mounted on said crossbar with the edges of saidcreasing bars disposed along said opposite edges of the platformopening, a vertically reciprocatory crosshead mounted in said frameabove said platform, a second pair of creasing bars mounted on saidcrosshead in vertical alinement with the first mentioned pair ofcreasing bars, and stops adjustably mounted on said crossbar forlimiting the insertion of the backs of books between said creasing bars.

6. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a frame, a book supporting platform mounted on said frameand having an elongated opening extending across the same whereby bookscan be positioned on said platform at opposite sides of said openingwith the backs Of the books projecting beyond opposite edges of saidplatform, a rigid crossbar on said frame, a pair of creasing barsmounted on said crossbar with the edges of said creasing bars disposedalong said edges of the platform opening, a vertically reciprocatorycrosshead mounted in said frame above said platform, a second pair ofcreasing bars mounted on said crosshead in alinement with the firstmentioned pair of creasing bars, stops on said rigid bar for limitinginsertion of the backs of books between the alined creasing bars, shaftsjournaled in said crosshead and disposed between the stops on said rigidbar, and cams on said shafts engaging said stops for adjusting thelatter relatively to the edges of the opening in said platform.

7. In a machine for forming hinge creases in book covers, thecombination of a portable frame, a book supporting platform horizontallymounted on said frame, vertically alined creasing bars supported on saidframe adjacent an edge of said platform, means for moving one of saidcreasing bars vertically toward and away from the other whereby a booksupported on said platform can be inserted between said creasing barswhen the latter are moved away from each other, stop means for limitingthe extent to which a book on said platform can be inserted between saidbars, and means for adjusting said stop means toward and from theplatform edge adjacent said creasing bars.

JULIAN D. STONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,874,165 Bredenberg Aug. 3, 19322,151,957 Davis Mar. 28, 1939 2,151,991 Schramm Mar. 28, 1939 2,375,398Wilkins May 8, 1945

